Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A device in an automatic facility for storing golf balls and, dispensing a number of golf balls, includes a magazine with a number of mutually laterally disposed and substantially parallel golf ball paths, in which the golf balls rest and which slope down towards a discharge chute leading to a delivery point, the golf ball paths discharging at a cradle which is in the form of a rail with a first shank which is provided with stub shafts and extends substantially at right angles to the golf ball paths, and a second shank which extends substantially in the same direction as the golf ball paths, the stub shafts being disposed at the ends of the rail and being journal led at the ends of the rail in order for the rail to be switchable between a reception position and a delivery position.

The present invention relates to a device according to the preamble to appended claim 1.

Devices or automatic machines for storing golf balls and dispensing a number of golf balls as needed occur to an increasing degree in the art, in particular at practice facilities (driving ranges), both outdoors and indoors. The frequency of use of both indoor and outdoor facilities is high. Automatic golf ball dispensers positioned outdoors are particularly exposed to the most varying weather conditions and, as a result, may be subject to weather-dependent operational disruptions in addition to other running problems that occur. Golfers and owners of practice facilities place extremely stringent demands on operational reliability and the rapid dispensing of a selected, desired number of golf balls. In state-of-the-art automatic dispensers, there resides a particular problem in that golf balls, in the actual discharge or dispensation process, may become jammed between mechanical parts in the apparatus and such jamming may result in the mechanical parts being deformed in such an unfortunate manner that the parts cannot operate correctly even after the unjamming of the golf ball, but must be replaced, which implies an extremely inconvenient and, in many contexts, lengthy operational downtime.

The task forming the basis of the present invention is to realise improvements to prior art apparatuses and automatic discharge devices.

This task is solved according to the present invention in the device disclosed by way of introduction in that it has been given the characterising features as set forth in appended claim 1.

The present invention greatly improves operational reliability in automatic golf ball dispensers for the discharge or dispensing of a desired number of golf balls. As a result of the present invention, the risk of damage to golf balls and parts of the machine caused by jamming of golf balls between different components in a mechanism is reduced to a minimum. In that the golf balls that are to be discharged are pivoted away at a very early stage from fixed components in the mechanism while the remaining golf balls are displaced away from the cradle with the golf balls that are to be discharged to a golfer via the discharge chute, the risk is greatly reduced of jamming of golf balls, and resultant damage to parts of the mechanism.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying Drawings. FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device according to the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the parts of the device according to the present invention encircled in the circle B in FIG. 2.

The parts illustrated in FIG. 1 of a device according to the present invention are removable from or mountable in a suitable casing which may in principle assume any configuration whatever and have any outer appearance whatever, and which may simply be a box of aluminium sheet or the like with suitable hatches and openings for the loading of golf balls and receiving of golf balls released down into a discharge chute. The discharge chute as a rule leads to a discharge opening at which a container for receiving the golf balls is placed and by means of which the golf balls may be moved to a driving bay or tee.

The parts of a device according to the present invention as shown on the Drawings are mounted on a frame 1 which comprises a number of square tubes which may be anchored in the casing of the automatic dispenser. The frame 1 includes an upper square tube 2 and a lower square tube 3. Between these tubes 2 and 3, there extend a left-hand end wall 4 and a right-hand end wall 5. Between the end walls 4 and 5, there further extends a watering pipe 6 whose one end is provided with a hose connection 7 or the like for connection to a suitable water source. The part of the pipe which extends between the end walls 4 and 5 is provided with a number of downwardly directed holes for spraying golf balls G located between the end walls 4 and 5. The golf balls G rest on a number of golf ball paths which are formed by a number of square tubes 8 extending between the tubes 2 and 3. That part or end portion of the square tube 8 which extends past the square tube 3 is slightly buckled or bent downwards in the discharge direction. The square tubes 8 are placed a suitable distance from one another so that the golf balls G do not fall down between them. In addition, the square tubes 8 are advantageously secured to the square tubes 2 and 3 by means of one substantially vertical diagonal and one substantially horizontal diagonal. The square tubes 8 are advantageously of square cross section and form a magazine floor which slopes from the square tube 2 towards the square tube 3.

Between the end walls 4 and 5, there further extends a brush roller 9 which, as is most clearly apparent in FIG. 2, has an irregular or asymmetric cross section which, in the position illustrated in FIG. 2, leaves the golf balls G free and, on clockwise rotation according to FIG. 2, will make contact with the golf balls G and move them upwards towards the square tube 2. Above the brush roller 9, there is disposed a doctor or scraper blade 10 which extends between the end walls 4 and 5 and against which the outer ends of the brush roller 9 are urged during passage of the doctor blade 10 so that dirt which may possibly be located on the ends of the brush roller is removed.

The irregular cross section of the brush roller 9 is realised by imparting different lengths to the brush bristles so that the bristles on that side illustrated in FIG. 2 most proximal the golf balls G are not in contact with them, but only the part illustrated in the upper side of FIG. 1 when this part has been rotated to a lower position.

At the right-hand end of the golf ball paths or the square tubes 8 illustrated in FIG. 2, there is disposed a golf ball cradle 11 which has stub shafts 12 and 13 which are each journalled in a bearing 14 and 15. The bearings 14 and 15 are secured on the end walls 4 and 5, respectively, or some other part of the frame.

The cradle 11 includes a rail 16 which extends between the stub shafts 12 and 13 and is secured thereon. The rail 16 has an edge shank 17 and an edge shank 18 and a web shank 19 interjacent and interconnecting the edge shanks 17 and 18. The shanks 17 and 19 form floors in the cradle 11.

The rail 16 is secured on the stub shafts 12 and 13 with the shanks 18, 19 abutting against them so that the shanks 18 and 19 extend tangentially in relation to the stub shafts 12, 13 and substantially make an acute angle between them, while the shank 17 extends substantially parallel with the downwardly bent end portion of the square tube 8 so far beneath it that the centre of a golf ball G resting on the shank 17 is located beneath the centre of golf balls G resting on the square tube 8 and the golf ball(s) G resting on the tube ends. On the edge shank 18, there is mounted a golf ball holder 20 with the aid of a rail 21 extending therealong. The rail 21 is bent at the edges. The edge of the rail 21 extends past the golf ball holder 20 and the edge of the shank 18. The rail 21 and the golf ball holder 20 are secured on the shank 18 by means of pins or shafts 22.

The golf ball holder 20 consists of a resiliently yieldable material and is divided into a number of fingers. The number of fingers corresponds to the number of golf ball paths. An edge tube 23 extends in between the end walls 4 and 5 at such a level above the golf ball paths that golf balls G can pass beneath. For restricting the number of golf ball paths, obstacles 24 and 25 are placed in the golf ball paths that are located most proximal the golf ball paths that are to contain golf balls G. The obstacles 24 and 25 may be in the form of plastic tubes of a suitable diameter, e.g. slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball G. The golf balls located between the obstacles 24 and the end wall plate 4, as well as the obstacle 25 and the end wall plate 5 display end stops or blocking pins 26 and 27 which extend through the tube 26 down into the golf ball paths that are not to be used and are empty, and apart from that golf ball path in which an obstacle 24 or 25 is placed. The blocking pins 26 and 27 are suitably in the form of cotter pins extending down into each respective golf ball path.

The stub shaft 13 of the cradle 11 supports an arm 28 which, via a gas spring 29, is connected to an arm 30 on a take off shaft from a motor-driven gear 31. The shaft 31 is coupled to a suitable electric motor 32 via a gear box 33. On rotation of the shaft 31 with the arm 30 through one revolution, the arm 28 will be pivoted counterclockwise by means of the gas spring 29 from the position illustrated in the Drawing figures through approx. 60° and preferably 35-45° for switching the cradle 11 from the reception position to the delivery position and for emptying of the golf balls down into a discharge chute (not shown) which, as a rule, is located beneath the rails 16 and leads to a collection basket or bucket via a discharge point.

The brush roller 9 is also connected to the gear box 33 for rotation through at least one revolution, each time the cradle 11 is pivoted from the reception position illustrated on the Drawings to a downwardly directed delivery position, in which the golf balls G in the cradle are released down to a discharge chute (not shown). On switching of the cradle 11 from the position illustrated on the Drawings, the golf ball holder 20 will be urged against the golf ball G following the most proximal golf ball G in the cradle and thereby be opened so that the golf balls G in the cradle fall down into the discharge chute. At the same time, the golf ball holder 20 will be urged against the following golf ball and possibly press the following golf ball, and possibly also the golf balls located above it, slightly further backwards up the golf ball paths and thereby release or disengage them from the golf ball paths formed by the square tubes 8. This implies that the golf balls G move more easily down to the rail 16. However, it is of major importance that it is the next golf ball following in sequence which is held in position in that the golf ball holder 20 is urged against it.

At the arm 30 on the shaft 31, there is mounted a positional sensor for generating an electric signal when the arm 30 is located in the position illustrated on the Drawings. This signal is fed to suitable electronics for determining how many revolutions are to be executed on each occasion.

Many modifications of the embodiment of the device according to the present invention described in the foregoing are naturally possible without departing from the scope of the inventive concept as this is defined in the appended Claims. 

1. A device in an automatic facility for storing golf balls and, dispensing a number of golf balls, the device comprising a magazine with a number of mutually laterally disposed and substantially parallel golf ball paths, in which the golf balls rest and which slope down towards a discharge chute leading to a delivery point, wherein the golf ball paths discharge at a cradle which is in a form of a rail with a first shank which is provided with stub shafts and extends substantially at right angles to the golf ball paths, and a second shank which extends substantially in a same direction as the golf ball paths, and that the stub shafts are disposed at ends of the rail and are each journalled in a bearing at the ends of the rail in order for the rail to be switchable between a reception position and a delivery position.
 2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rail has a third shank which extends in a direction opposing that of the second shank and supports a golf ball holder for carrying the golf balls on switching of the cradle from the reception position to the delivery position.
 3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the golf ball holder may be opened in the delivery position of the rail for delivering the golf balls in the discharge chute.
 4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in the delivery position, the golf ball holder is urged against at least the next golf ball in the golf ball paths, and the second shank of the rail is directed substantially vertically for delivering the golf balls in the discharge chute.
 5. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the golf ball holder is divided into a number of fingers which are intended each for a golf ball path and each for a golf ball.
 6. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the golf ball holder is disposed, during switching of the rail from the reception position, to be urged against the immediately following golf ball in the golf ball paths and possibly to press the golf balls backwards up in the golf ball paths.
 7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an angular distance between the reception position and the delivery position is approx. 60°, preferably 35-45°.
 8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an arm is secured on the one stub shaft for switching the rail between the reception position and the delivery position.
 9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the arm is coupled to an arm on a motor-driven shaft via a gas spring.
 10. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the golf ball holder is divided into a number of fingers which are intended each for a golf ball path and each for a golf ball.
 11. The device as claimed claim 4, wherein the golf ball holder is disposed, during switching of the rail from the reception position, to be urged against the immediately following golf ball in the golf ball paths and possibly to press the golf balls backwards up in the golf ball paths.
 12. The device as claimed claim 5, wherein the golf ball holder is disposed, during switching of the rail from the reception position, to be urged against the immediately following golf ball in the golf ball paths and possibly to press the golf balls backwards up in the golf ball paths.
 13. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein an angular distance between the reception position and the delivery position is approx. 60°, preferably 35-45°.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein an angular distance between the reception position and the delivery position is approx. 60°, preferably 35-45°.
 15. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein an angular distance between the reception position and the delivery position is approx. 60°, preferably 35-45°.
 16. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein an angular distance between the reception position and the delivery position is approx. 60°, preferably 35-45°.
 17. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein an angular distance between the reception position and the delivery position is approx. 60°, preferably 35-45°.
 18. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein an arm is secured on the one stub shaft for switching the rail between the reception position and the delivery position.
 19. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein an arm is secured on the one stub shaft for switching the rail between the reception position and the delivery position.
 20. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein an arm is secured on the one stub shaft for switching the rail between the reception position and the delivery position. 